Zaroff explains that he is the ultimate hunter; he recieved his first gun at the age of 5, and has traveled the world and hunted every possible game animal. Now
he has become so good at it that he's bored with his beloved pastime. After reaveling that he had to create a "new animal", he indirectly states that he hunts men. He stocks his prey by tricking ships into wrecking near his island with misleading navigation lights. When the surviving crew swim to his shores, he offers them a choice: they can be murdered by Ivan or choose to be hunted on the island by Zaroff. If they survive three days, he promises to set them free. Rainsford, who is immediately against the idea of hunting humans, tries to convince General Zaroff that hunting humans makes him a murder, not a hunter. This, of course, doesn't work and Zaroff offers Rainsford the choice: become prey, or die.
Rainsford must set out to survive his three days as a game animal with only a sack of food and a knife. The conclusion of the story focuses on what happens when these two skilled hunters finally match wits.